Refrigerating unit



E. H. HAANAN REFRIGERATING UNIT Feb. 5, 1957 Filed Jan. 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNE Y' United States Patent@ REFRIGERATING UNIT Everett H. Haanan, Irving, Tex. Application January 25,1954, Serial No. 405,671

3 Claims. (Cl. 6291.5)

This invention relates to refrigeration and more particularly to a unit especially designed to employ solidified CO2 as the refrigerating medium.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an insulated `container for a refrigerating agent, whether mechanical, water ice or Dry Ice, but preferably the latter, which is adapted to, be enclosed within a larger insulated container for perishables and, by virtue of a novel transfer medium, to cool the space in said larger container by controlled conduction,1 the said transfer medium consisting of a primary plate having the quality of heat conduction and lying partly within and partly without the refrigeration container and provided with means for exposing more or less `of the area thereof exteriorly ofthe refrigeration container to thespace reserved for perishables, thus to control the degree of heat transfer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable refrigerating unit which lcan bewplaced in juxtaposition with foods in insulated containers transported `by vvacatieners,l touristsand others seeking to preserve perishables during long trips and especially to insure against over refrigeration where Dry Ice is used a's the refrigerant by the simple expedient of isolating "the refrigerant and controlling the area of the heat exchanger exposed to the perishables.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerating unit consisting of a container of inexpensive construction, adapted to be placed in a larger insulated lcontainer for perishables to preserve the same and, be-

cause of its economical construction, is disposable after having served a temporary use.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description when considered with the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a front perspective View of a refrigerating unit constructed according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front perspective View of a modified form of the invention showing an expendable container.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference is primarily made to Figures i to 3 wherein numeral 10 denotes generally the case or container having end walls 11, a rear wall 12, bottom 13, removable cover 14 and front wall 15. All of the walls, top and bottom are constructed of a suitable heat insulating material.

The refrigerant, such as Dry Ice or water ice is placed in the container and rests on a plate 16 made of a metal known to possess rapid heat transferring qualities. The plate 16 covers the entire area of the bottom of the container and has a portion 17 of reduced width extending through the front wall of the container 10 and is turned upwardly into parallelism with the front wall "ice 15 and spaced outwardly therefrom. The upturned portion 18 of the plate 17 will be referred to hereinafter as the primary plate and terminates at or below the top of the container 10.

Embracing the primary plate 18 is an open ended housing 19 hereinafter referred to as the secondary plate and consists of a plate 20 having sides 21, provided with coextensive flanges 22. which are secured by screws 23 to the front wall 15 of the container.

The secondary plate 20 has a vertical slot 24 in its inidsection, terminating short of its upper and lower edges. Extending through this slot is a bolt 26 on which is `mounted washers 27 on the exterior surface of the plate and a wing nut 28. The inner end of the bolt 26 is aihxed to a slide 29 consisting of a metal strap traversing the face of the primary plate 18 and whose ends30 are bent to embrace opposite edges of the primary plate 18 and are slidable thereon. Attached to the slide-29 by `its inwardly turned ends 31 is a strap 32` which is slidable on the inner face of the secondary plate 20. The strap 32 is held in spaced relationship with theslide `29 by means of washers 33 through which/thebolt 26 extends to the slide 29.

. It is evident from thelforegoing that by loosening the wing nutl28,'the slide 29 and strap 32 may be moved vertically, as permitted by theslot 24 in the secondary plate 20.` Heat transfer is effected from the solid `refrigerant resting on `the plate ,16 to `the primary plate 18 yof the heat exchanger and rises to the point wheretthe plate V1S is traversed by the slide 29, `the `latter dividing the heat absorbing surface lof plate 18, causing transfer, vin major part, to the housing .19 which is exposedto the perishables in a largerinsuiated container, not ,t shown, to be preserved. i

Experiments have disclosed thanthe position ofthe slide `29V on Athe p late, 1S determinesnthe; degree of heat transfer,- that is, as the slide 29 is lowered the temperature in the space to be cooled is decreased because the distance of heat transfer becomes less and as the slide is raised, the temperature increases since the distance of heat travel is greater in the primary plate 1S. However, to preclude frost accumulation on the primary plate 13, a bellowstype casing 34 of a suitable plastic material embraces virtually the entire heat absorption surface of the plate 18. This casing is sealed and constitutes a space for dead air and prevents absorption of heat, concentrating the transfer at and through the slide 29 to the secondary plate 20 wherever the slide is positioned, the beilows collapsing or expanding as the slide is raised and lowered, as shown.

Aflixed to the external surface of thel secondary plate 20 is an endless tubing 31a which is charged with a refrigeration gas or liquid. This is for the purpose of obtaining more uniform distribution of heat 'from the secondary plate 29 and its diffusion throughout Vthe zone to be cooled.

in order to control the release of C02 gas fro-ni the container 10, to reduce the rate of sublimation of the Dry Ice, a ball check valve 32a is mounted in one wall of the container 1d. A sealing gasket 33a is interposed between the top 14 and the upper edge of the container. Bolts 34a, having thumb screws, hold the top in sealed relationship with the container.

In Figures 4 to 6 is shown a modified form of the invention, although involving substantially the same principle. This form of the invention is designed as an expandable unit whose container 35 has end walls 36, rear wall 37, top 38, bottom 39 and front wall 40, of such inexpensive materials that the unit can be disposed of once it has served a more or less temporary purpose. Other elements of the unit are also of economical design and construction, although maintaining a degree of eiiiaysaora ciency approaching that of the more durable unit earlier described. v

In this unit, the walls, top and bottom of the container 38 may be constructed of sheets of corrugated paper glued together with asphalt or plastic to form a good but inexpensive insulation. Covering the bottom 39 of the container is a sheet of heat conducting metal 41 which emerges from the container at the bottom of the front wall 40 in the form of a strip 42 of reduced width. The strip 42 presents a surface for heat absorption from the refrigerated container 3S to a space to bc cooled, which may be a larger insulated container, not shown in which the container 35 is placed.

The heat exchanger, which the strip 4Z becomes, is turned upwardly and is cemented to the exterior surface of the front wall of the container 35. The heat exchanger strip terminates at the approximate midsection of the container.

To control the transfer of heat from the refrigerated zone to the zone to be cooled, a sheet 43, which may be of heavy cardboard is held for vertical sliding displacement over the heat exchanger 42 by means of vertically disposed and horizontally spaced strips 44 whose upper and lower ends 45 and 46 respectively are secured to the front wall 40 of the container 35.

It is evident from the foregoing that as the sheet 43 is moved downwardly over the heat exchanger 42, the amount of heat transferred therethrough from the refrigerated zone diminishes. On the other hand, raising the Vsheet 43 will increase the transfer of heat by the heat exchanger since more of its area is exposed. The sheet 43 is held in adjusted positions by frictional engagement therewith of the retaining strips 44.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable refrigerating apparatus for disposition in a space to be cooled, comprising a container having insulated walls and an insulated, removable cover,"a sheet of heat conducting material in said container on which is adapted to rest solidified carbon dioxide, a primary absorption plate exteriorly of said container having direct communication with said primary plate into which heat is transferred by said sheet from said solidified carbon dioxide, a secondary plate enclosing the front and side edges of said primary plate, air tight ilexible and collapsible means enclosing the eifective absorptive area of said primary plate, and means movable vertically in relation to said primary and secondary plates for eiecting direct transfer of heat from said primary to said secondary `plate through said collapsible means to control the amount of heat transferred by said secondary plate into said space.

2. The structure of claim 1, and valve means in said container for releasing to atmosphere CO2 gas pressure accumulating therein above a predetermined pressure.

3. The structure of claim l, and a sealed tube containing a refrigerating uid axedto said secondary plate for the uniform distribution of heat throughout the absorption area of said secondary plate.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,764,194 Bruehl et al. June 17, 1930 1,870,684 Killeffer Aug. 9, 1932 1,893,483 Belt Ian. l0, 1933 1,938,925 Moody Dec. l2, 1933 1,980,089 Rice Nov. 6, 1934 2,055,158 Rice Sept. 22, 1936 2,172,916 Vidal Sept. l2, 1939 2,263,522 Scott Nov. 18, 1941 2,367,097 Clerc Ian. 9, 1945 2,677,245 Edmondson May 4, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 398,174 Great Britain Sept. 4, 1933 

